Destined Hearts
by Destinysway114
Summary: Sequel to The Destined Visitor. As the Keyblade war rises it's ugly head, The Original Three must venture to worlds old and new. With so many new enemies, what will the four teens have to overcome? I hope you like it! Enjoy!
1. Prolouge

1Okay, I'll get a few things straight. I understand Riku was a bit OOC, but it was all a dream. Yes, that's right, Riku was dreaming the whole first story, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen. It means now it has been awhile the since the events in the first story occurred. This part also, is part of the dream. Yes, he's been having one giant nightmare. So please enjoy, and I hope that updates won't take as long as a month, but I can't promise anything…sorry.

The funeral part is a flash back, just so you know…

And, for all future chapters, I don't own Kingdom Hearts, or any random movie references I may put in the story. (Sigh) got that over with.

Here we go.

Destined Hearts

Prologue

The Funeral

Everyone wore black that next day. After coming back from Disney Castle, with two less people in the gummi ship. They all disembarked, and walked to the Destiny Islands. It was starting an hour from now. The funeral. Everyone started looking for Riku for a while, but they never found him. He was horrified; his heart was broken into millions. The funeral finally began. Everyone traveled to a part of the island that no one ever wanted to go. They all went into the secret place. Inside, passing all the pictures including the picture with Sora and Kairi, a trap door was opened.

The walls glistened a bluish glow. A torch was lit and held up, suddenly the whole room was illuminated. The people climbed down into the Destiny Islands graveyard. There were two other graves there. One honored Axel, Flurry of Dancing Flames, since he had done so much for Sora, and his friends. He even 'died' for them; the people had no choice but to honor him. The other honored Ansem…The Wise. Ansem was a very intelligent man, but when revenge overwhelmed him, he needed to do what he could to redeem himself and he did change Riku back to normal. Everyone surrounded a certain grave, one that some would never forget. The plank of wood that was used for a tombstone read, "In the name of the Destiny Islands family, and the Ponocca family, here lies Kerrigan Blade Ponocca. True friend, healer, and much more to us all. 1989-2006." A poapu fruit lay on the grave, an R on it.

"Riku…" Sora whispered to himself, as Leon and Cid carried the lifeless body of Kerrigan inside the graveyard. Yuffie picked up the poapu fruit, and put it in Kerri's hands. Her body was exactly like it was in Disney Castle. Her clothes were covered in blood, as well as her arms and legs. There were holes in her clothes were the dagger had penetrated her body. Luckily, Tidus had used the blanket that he was using, to cover Kerri's body. Kairi cried in Sora's arms, as Kerri's body was slowly put down into the hole.

"Why?" she wept. "Why did she do this? Why did she kill herself?" Sora smiled without joy, and shook his head.

"No Kairi," he replied, holding her against his chest, drying her tears once in a while. "She didn't kill herself. She did this to save someone she truly loved…" He paused, letting his thoughts gather, and slowly lifted up his head, as if looking hopefully at the ceiling. He sighed, whispering to himself, "Kerrigan…Riku still needs you. You left…too early. And if I had just left Riku alone, this would have never happened." He shed a few tears, still holding Kairi tightly in his arms.

Riku…

Flash back, after he ran out of the castle.

"Let this all be a nightmare… Let this all be a bad dream." He landed his ship; still the tears seemed to have no end. He ran through the town, and even though people asked what was wrong, he didn't answer. He needed to be alone. He ran to the docks, climbing into his boat, and rowed as fast as he could. He didn't even think to just land on the island. Riku stumbled onto the beach, catching himself as he continued to the only place where he thought she would be. The Cove. He tripped and fell on his knees. He got up and glared at the dry blood on his hands. He closed his hands and made fists, tightening them hard and harder, until his nails almost made marks in his palms.

"Kerri…my fault. Why does it have to be my fault..." He quickly got up, and continued to run as fast as he could toward the Cove. He pushed the doors open, jumping onto the broken dock. He started to fall, but quickly grabbed the edge, and pulled himself up, catching his breath. He got up and started his way up the zip line tower's ladder, jumping onto it and quickly moving down. He let go of the handles and fell once again, rebounded, and looked around. Kerrigan wasn't there. Riku's once blood-shot eyes, started filling up with tears again. He fell to his knees, his hands turning into fists, grabbing sand in the process. He screamed at the top of his lungs, not really saying anything, but just screaming. He finally broke off, panting and catching his breath again. He fell on his chest, and this time, his mind was playing tricks on him. He reached out his hand, hoping that Kerri would grab it. He couldn't bare this anymore. He felt dizzy, and cried himself into a sleep.

"Kerri…why did you leave? Why couldn't I protect you? Why is this…all my fault?"

"I never said it was Riku…" Riku thought he had opened his eyes, but there was only black. However, off in the distance, a light shone. It came closer and closer. Slowly, the light began to take the shape of a human. Riku lay there, not knowing what the creature was. He turned his head upward, looking away from it.

"And you were supposed to be the level-headed one," the voice rang again. Riku sprang to his feet, even if there was no ground, and hoped that his next question would be true.

"Kerrigan…is…is that you?" The creature smiled, and took Kerri's form, only a light aura surrounded her. Riku's eyes widened at the sight.

"Riku…why are you crying for me?" Kerri's figure asked.

"Kerri…the knife…the blood on my hands…your body falling to the ground…your last words…were they all but figments of my imagination?" She grasped his hand in hers. Surprisingly, her hand wasn't transparent. He could feel her hand in his, even if it was cold as hell.

"No Riku," she replied soothingly, "it was all real, but nevertheless, you cry. Riku…I wish for you to not shed anymore tears over the matter."

"BUT I COULD HAVE PROTECTED YOU! I COULD HAVE KEPT YOU ALIVE, AND SAFE! BUT I FAILED KERRIGAN! I…failed." Kerrigan frowned; she knew that Lance had told him that is was his fault.

"Riku…I forgive you. You need to forgive yourself, and right now, that is my only wish…" She pulled him into an embrace. Riku was surprised at first, thinking that he would fall through her. Slowly, he gently put his arms around her, holding her tightly. She smiled, knowing that Riku was just afraid. She hugged him tighter. "Please Riku, don't cry. I'm always with you. I am that light to guide you." Suddenly, the light around Kerri gathered into a ball, and went into Riku. Kerri's body began to limply float away. Riku was forced to, once again, let go the girl he loved.

_I am that light to guide you…I'm…always with you…_

Back at the funeral

Everyone had just left the sacred ground. Sora still held Kairi in his arms. He looked out toward the sea, and to his surprise saw Riku standing in the water.

"Kairi, look!" He exclaimed, pointing at Riku. She looked up, and gasped. Riku heard his friends, and turned to face them. Sora and Kairi ran over toward him.

"Riku…are you...?" Kairi began. Riku shook his head.

"I think I'll be okay, Kairi. Right now, I just want to live my life." He smiled at Sora, his eyes gleaming with happiness. Sora smiled back at him.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Kairi said, running toward the sea shack. "Let's have some fun!" She opened the door of the sea shack, and threw Sora and Riku each a wooden sword. Kairi got for herself a wooden stick.

"Ok, Kairi, you asked for it!" Sora exclaimed, picking up the sword and charging at her.

"Don't you dare leave me out!" Riku shouted. Everyone was back. And Riku's mind was set. Yes, he was still sad. But, he knew that he would always have a bit of Miss Kerrigan Ponocca within him.

On the ridge, the spirit of Kerrigan watched the three friends play. She smiled, wishing that she could join them, but she had other problems to solve. Like her main problem now was,

_Where the hell is my body?_ She floated down, (yes, she can suddenly fly) and entered the cave, opening the trap door. The torch was still lit, and the room still had a bluish glow. She walked over to her grave, and examined it. She frowned finding that two things were missing.

The poapu fruit, and her body were gone. She calmed down thinking who in the right mind would defile her own grave. The name floated into her head.

"Damn you…Lance," she growled as she faded away, her words echoing before fading too.

"_Help...me…" _

End of Dream Months Later

"NO! KERRI!" He burst awake, sitting upward and started breathing deeply, looking at his surroundings. He was in his room. He looked over at the clock.

"12:00? Déjà vu…" He shed another tear, but remembered his promise.

"You need to forgive yourself Riku. Forgive yourself…" her voice rang out in his mind. In a way, it was soothing. He looked on his hand. The blood was gone, but he could still feel it.

"Kerrigan…I love you," he said softly. He also thought of the last thing she had said.

"…Damn you Lance. I will avenge her…I promise you Kerri…I will."

_I never blamed you, not once. You were with me…that's all that matters_.

------------------

I'm sorry if the funeral, or Riku's running out of the castle flashback didn't make sense. It's all just back round information, that's all.

By the way, sorry about the Advent Children Reference there, it seemed necessary though.

All right, that's all I have time for. I'll update as soon as I can, but it will take time. See you then.

Destiny


	2. Call to Arms Chapter 1

All right, that's past. Now, we move on to current events. This is kind of where the main plot starts. Once again, if it doesn't make sense, please bear with me.

Chapter 1

Call to arms

Riku lay awake on his bed, breathing deeply. "The nightmare…again…" Sweat dripped from his fore head. His body was extremely hot, and his breathing completely uneven. "Why…why do I keep dreaming about her?" He wiped the sweat from his brow, getting out of bed, and went to the window where he looked out onto the dark island. He wouldn't be able to sleep again. "These nightmares have been getting worse. The death keeps replaying in my dreams, and I don't know how to stop them." He sighed. "It's like I'm there again each time it happens," he thought blankly in his mind, not saying a word, just staring into the dark abyss. "Maybe…maybe I need to do something…maybe she's out there…waiting for me…" the idea exploded in his head. "What am I saying? I saw her die!" he whispered to himself. He turned his back to the window, and gave out a big yawn, stretching his arms in the air. He was tired, but he also knew that the nightmare would just replay itself again. He sighed, climbing back into bed, and drifting off.

Morning finally broke, and the sun rose high enough to just shine over the island's outline. Riku pulled the covers over his head. He wanted sleep, but he was wide-awake. He groaned, pushing the blankets away after five minutes of just laying in bed, making an attempt to sleep again. The light from the sun shone through his window with a brilliant light. He put his arm in front of his eyes as he made his way to the window to put the blinds down. He looked out of the still bright window, his arm still protecting his eyes from its light.

"I'm that light…your light…" the words again echoed in his mind. "Your light to guide you…to help you…to heal you." Riku's expression became angry, and he pulled the blinds down, blocking all light from the room.

"Stop lying to me Kerri…there is no light to guide me." He looked away from window, picked his clothes off the floor, and walked out of the room.

He went into the bathroom, turning on the water in his sink, letting it flow for a few seconds. When it finally filled up, Riku cupped his hands, letting the water run into his palms. He splashed the water on his face, doing it again a few times. He looked up into the mirror over his sink. His other was staring back at him, giving the same stern expression, and stone cold eyes as he was. His face was dripping wet, but he wasn't looking at his face. He was looking into his eyes.

"His eyes couldn't lie…" Mickey's words repeated. Riku looked deeply into his own eyes, reading them carefully.

"My eyes never lied before…why are they now?" he asked himself. He drained the sink, and dried his face and hands on a towel nearby. He turned off the light, and closed the bathroom door, already dressed in his normal attire. He pushed all thoughts of his nightmares into the back of his mind, and started down the stairs, and walked out the door.

The sun was bright, kind of blinding him. His head was swimming with the dreams. He had a small headache, making his trip to the dock a little slower then normal, but he jumped into his boat, and slowly rowed to the island just the same. His head pounded with pain, causing him to almost drop his oar and hold his head and wince. He clutched at his head, holding it as if it would do any good.

"First you lie to me…but now you're hurting me? Great…" said Riku, breathing deeply. It was the longest trip to islands he had ever had. He reached the island, tying his boat to a post, and climbed out and onto the dock. Sora and Kairi were there waiting for him.

"Took you long enough Riku," said Sora with a smirk.

Riku gave him an irritated look, but then frowned. "I…didn't sleep well last night…" He yawned, trying to cover it with his hand.

"Why?" Kairi asked, concerned.

Riku shook his head. "I'd…rather not tell you…you wouldn't understand."

"Well, you haven't been sleeping well lately…" Sora started, but Riku interrupted him.

"I told you it's nothing!" he repeated defensively. Sora and Kairi flinched. Riku frowned. "Sorry…I just had a nightmare last night…"

"About?" Kairi asked again, still concerned for his health.

"Like I said before…you wouldn't understand!" he snapped. "Can we just drop the subject and get to the point now?" Sora nodded.

"Look…I found this on the beach…" he held up a bottle, just like the one the trio received months ago.

"That bottle…is it from-?" Sora sadly nodded before he could finish.

"It's from the King…" Riku snatched the bottle away from Sora, popped the cork off, and unrolled the tube of paper. Riku read the letter aloud:

_Warriors of the Keyblade,_

_As we all have feared for these many months, the time has come to act. We cannot deny the truth. The Keyblade war is upon us. Please Sora, Kairi, Riku report to Disney Castle, we must prepare for war. The tie between the Destiny Islands, and this castle should be unlocked and open for flight. Please, be extremely careful, for the enemy may make a surprise attack on your way. We will discuss our plans when you arrive._

_The King and Queen of Disney Castle _

Riku finished reading, looking at Sora, then Kairi, and then back to the letter. He paused before saying anything, knowing that this would be a hard time all three of them.

Sora's expression grew sad, and he sighed, "I guess…we should head out." The others nodded. Suddenly, something snapped in Riku's mind, causing a small amount of pain.

"Wait…" he started, holding his head in pain. Sora went over to comfort him, but Riku pushed him gently away. Riku stood up, nodding to his friends.

"I need to go do something," he muttered, walking off the dock, and toward the cove.

"He must be going to practice a bit before leaving," said Sora. Kairi nodded, smiling. The two decided to leave him be, and relax a bit on the beach.

Riku

Riku looked over to see if the other two weren't looking. He ran past the waterfall, and into the secret place. He opened the trap door below, and walked down, grabbing a lantern on his way. He lit it with a match, and continued to walk downward. The graveyard was just ahead.

It was dark, and the walls gave off an eerie kind of glow. Riku lit the light above, illuminating the whole room. In the fading light, he knelt before a certain grave.

"Kerrigan…I'm leaving again…" he started. "The Keyblade war has started, and we need to stop it. I don't know when I'll be back…so I decided to say good-bye for now, at least." He sighed, knowing that he was talking to apiece of wood, but in some ways, he knew Kerri was listening to him. Stray tears ran down his cheeks. "I've been having nightmares about you…your death keeps replaying in my dreams, and each time…I feel like I'm there…" He paused, gathering his thoughts. "I love you Kerrigan…I promise I'll stay faithful. I promise I won't love another. I'll try…to find your light. Please help me…and if there's any clue at all that you're alive, I will help you…" He got up, finally done saying good-bye, and started to the trap door. He stopped for just a minute. "Axel…Ansem the Wise. Please, take care of her." He walked out of the graveyard, and turned so he was coming from the cove. Sora and Kairi were at the dock again, waiting for him.

"How was training?" Kairi. Riku pretended to wipe sweat from his brow.

"Harder then I thought it would be," he smiled. Sora smiled at both of them. The boys went to jump in their boats, but Kairi stopped them.

"Wait…I want to make a promise…" She walked over and sat down on the dock, reaching for the two boys' hands. She put them on top of each other, just like back in the world that never was.

"I want us to promise, that if one of us gets hurt, we all stay behind to help. If one of us goes somewhere, we all go. And most importantly, no one goes into darkness…and that goes double for you Riku." Riku rolled his eyes, annoyed at the comment.

"Stop picking on me! I'm done with the darkness…" Kairi smiled.

"Good!" she said. " Now, let's keep this promise, not only to the three of us, but also to all our friends!" All three nodded, and smiled. They climbed into their boats, not saying a word, and rowed toward the town. When they got back, they went home, to pack a few little things for the trip. They said they would be back within the hour. Riku ran as fast as he could home, and ran up the stairs, putting a few trinkets in his bag. He snuck back down the stairs, but stopped at a voice.

"Riku…?" He turned around, and it was Rela, his mother. Her hair was messy, due to the fact that she had just woken up, and she was still wearing her night flannel pants and tee shirt. She walked closer to Riku. "You're leaving again, aren't you?" Riku didn't say anything, but just stood there, eyeing his mother. "You're going to travel again, and not come back for years…is that it?" Riku sighed.

"I'm sorry, Mom, but it's for a greater good. After this is done, it will be all over…" His mother ran a hand through her hair.

"Riku…will you please come home safely? Please take care of Sora and Kairi."

"I will…thanks." Rela hugged her son tightly,

"I'm so proud of you…I know you won't let the worlds down…" She released him, shedding a few tears. "Now…go." Riku smiled, waving as he walked out of his house. Rela went into the kitchen, making breakfast.

"He'll come back…he said that he would…"

Riku met up with Sora, followed by Kairi. They walked through the town together, people asking about where they were going, or why they held serious looks on their faces. The trio didn't answer a single question thrown at them, for they wanted to keep course to the back of town. The reached an alley, and Riku dug up his old gummi ship he 'borrowed' from the castle, and climbed inside.

"I have to warn you guys…" Riku smirked, "this ship is only meant for one, so you may be a little…what's a good word…uncomfortable." Sora and Kairi groaned, giving him an evil type of look.

"Darn you Riku, and your stupid ship!" They finally got in, and took off. Sora and Kairi were forced to sit in a back closet, since there were no seats. Sora felt crunched against Kairi. Riku took the driver's seat, putting on a small headset. He pulled the small microphone to his mouth, and flipped a switch labeled, 'Communication link 1'.

"Approaching gate…transmission link 1 open. Identify yourself!" Riku said into the little microphone. A high-pitched, squeaky voice filled the cockpit.

"This is Gummi Garage 1, engineers: Brown and Black. Please identify yourself."

"This is Destinysway, pilot Dawn. Also with me are Keyblade and Paopu."

"Glad to hear from you Riku, and tell Sora and Kairi I said hi, okay?"

"Will do Chip, Dale. I'm getting close to the gate, Dawn out." He pressed a button to turn off the communication link. The ship plunged into the gate, going into the light.

"Sora! Kairi!" Riku yelled back, pressing some random buttons and switches. "Things are gonna get rough, so hold on to your seat!"

"Be careful!" came the muffled voice of the Keyblade master. Riku grabbed a joystick, and jerked it sharply to the left, making the ship turn right, almost doing a barrel roll.

"Yo Riku!" came Sora's muffled voice again from the back 'seat'. "Don't try and kill us before we even get there."

Riku rolled his eyes with a grin. "Oops, my bad. I was just dodging enemy fire, but I guess I'll stop now, just to make it comfortable for you." His words were total sarcasm.

"No no!" Kairi yelled this time. "Please continue. I don't mind at all…"

"If you say so…" Riku shouted back. His ship was hit full force with a laser, causing the whole ship to briefly shake violently. He recovered from the blast, turned to the left, and fired back, making the ship explode. It was, however, quickly replaced with another ship. Riku's eyes widened, taking down another ship, and its replacement, but more ships were coming his way.

"God damn ships! Die already!" A little red light flashed on and off on his Com link grid.

"Com link 3?" he muttered, flipping the switch. "Identify yourself, friend or foe!"

"Friend sir. This is Twilight, pilot Lost." Came a female voice. It didn't sound female over the speaker, but he knew it was.

"State your intentions!" Riku barked back, shooting a group of ships down. He was close to the castle.

"Looks like you're in a bit of a pickle. Need some help?" a laser shot from above him, and another group of ships went down. Riku was able to enter the gate.

"Disengage Lost, I repeat, disengage! Were almost in the safe zone."

"Oh MAN! I never get to have any fun! Oh, and by the way, if you ever need help, I programmed your com link 3 directly to mine. Don't be a stranger now. Lost out!" The com link switched off by itself. Riku gave the switch a confused look, as he piloted the ship through the gate. He turned on his Com link 1,

"Brown, Black. This is Destinysway, pilot Dawn here. We have reached the castle, I repeat, have reached the castle."

"Alright RIKU! We'll open the dock for you! Brown and Black out!"

"Roger that. Dawn out." He turned off his com link 1, and leaned back in his chair, thinking. He closed his eyes for a second, relaxing for the moment. There was silence, only the sound of the rockets blasting toward the castle.

"HEY RIKU!" Sora yelled through the back closet, breaking the peaceful silence.

"Yes…Sora?" replied Riku, unhappy that his silence was broken.

"Will Kairi and I be getting ships like this you know, so we don't have to cram back here?" Riku chuckled at the almost hurtful comment.

"Maybe, and on a better note: while were here, I'm gonna ask the two little guys for a major upgrade." The light brightened and the castle was in plan sight. The whole world was just the way they had left it, those months ago.

"Alright guys were here." He piloted the ship into the hatch that was provided. "Brown, I'm in, close hatch."

"Roger that." Riku landed the ship, and they were taken up to the main part, just like an elevator for ships. Riku took off his seat belt, and started thinking about the transmission he had received from Lost. He switched to his com link 3.

Pilot Lost, do you read me? This is Dawn." No answer. Was it all a dream? "Lost, this is Dawn. Do you copy?"

"Sorry about that. This is Lost, go ahead Dawn, what's the danger?"

Riku chuckled. "No danger, we made it safe and sound."

"Oh…well then why are you calling me?" Riku turned a knob to make the voice come clearer through the speaker. It was a girl indeed.

"Lost, I just wanted to know who–?" he was cut off by Sora.

"RIKU! COME ON OUT OF THERE!" Riku switched off the con link, took of his headset, unbuckled his seat belt, and walked out of the ship, without saying another word.

Somewhere Else

"Hello? Dawn, do you read me? ARG!" Lost switched off her com link, frustrated. She sat back in her seat. "Didn't even be a gentlemen and say good-bye…what a…ARG!" She switched to her com link 5.

"Lance, I have found my target…permission to proceed sir?"

"Go ahead Lost," a male voice crackled over her speaker, "and be careful. Make sure you are not discovered, or this mission is a failure. You understand this, Lost, do you not?"

Lost giggled. "Yeah, yeah, and this is the…sixth time you've explained?"

"Cut the jokes Lost, I'm just watching out for you. Now hurry up and go before you get shot down."

"Alright whatever, cool your jets big guy. Just make sure Pike and Silva are ready to go, alright?"

"Roger. And by the way, remember who gave you this job. I could easily get someone else, Lance out." Lost felt anger rise, forming her hands into fists.

"God, sometimes I hate you so much." She sped off toward the castle. "Hopefully, this mission isn't all for nothing…"

There we go, review please.

Destiny out!


	3. Rinami Chapter 2

Sorry about the slow update, my word wasn't working, and I had to start writing down the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it, and now I'll shut up and start.

Chapter 2

Rinami

The gummi ship was safely in the docking bay, and the trio entered the dark blue hanger, watching the gears and cranes move all around them. It amazed them the most was that how the creatures who ran the hanger were able to manage it. Two small chipmunks ran down from the control room and up onto Kairi's shoulders.

"SORA! RIKU! KAIRI!" the black nosed one exclaimed, hugging Kairi's cheek. "We're so glad you're here safely." Sora smiled.

"Is the King able to see us?" Sora asked eagerly. The two chipmunks nodded.

"Just follow the stairway, but Goofy and Donald won't be there. They're on a mission for King Mickey." Sora frowned. He really wanted to see his other friends.

"Right…well okay," he looked back at Kairi and Riku, smiling, "let's go guys." He started up the stairs. Kairi put the two chipmunks down, and she followed Sora. Riku didn't move. The white haired teen bent low, so Chip and Dale would be able be hear him.

"Hey, could you guys upgrade my ship? Like giving it better weapons and stuff like that? I'll pay for it…you know…since I stole it and all…" he blushed at his own comment. Chip and Dale giggled, but nodded.

"It's on us. We'll have it done by tomorrow." They started walking away.

"Wait…" Riku called them back. They turned back, exchanging questioning looks.

"Something else on your ship you need done?" Chip questioned. Riku nodded.

"On my com-link 3, a pilot code named Lost contacted me. Can you find out the pilots real name, and what he or she wants?" the chipmunks nodded.

"No problem. We'll give you the information as soon as we find out anything." Riku smiled, nodding.

"Thanks guys. I knew I could count on you. I need to go." He started up the stairs. Chip and Dale looked at the ship, and smiled looking back at each other.

"Let's get to work!" they said in unison.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Riku ran up the stairs to catch up with his friends. Sora looked back at Riku, and smiled.

"Let's go!" Sora exclaimed. He grabbed the doorknob, and quickly opened the door. Dozens of Heartless appeared, all of them pounding their feet on the ground. Kairi looked over the creatures and quickly summoned her Keyblade. She saw the King fighting them off left and right.

"Your Majesty!" she gasped, swinging her Keyblade, making a path for herself.

"KAIRI! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Sora yelled. She jumped over the wall of Heartless blocking her from the King. The mouse turned to see the redhead.

"Kairi? What in the world—?" he was cut short.

"No time to talk sir," Kairi started, "we need to take care of these guys first." The King nodded his agreement. She turned to the boys, who were just standing there, surprised.

"SORA! RIKU! Don't just stand there! FIGHT!" The boys nodded, finally summoning their Keyblades taking up fighting stances. They ran in different directions, fighting their own groups of Heartless.

Later into the fight, the Shadow upgraded to Neoshadows, and Dusk Nobodies started appearing.

"What the crap?!" Riku yelled. "Didn't we solve this problem a year ago?"

"Looks like we missed a loose end!" Sora replied, slashing another Heartless out of existence. The battle raged on...As if it would never end…

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Lance," the transmission began, "it seems like we're in a jam. The trio is fighting those dark creatures we found." Lost watched the battle from the roof, itching to join the fight.

"I don't understand. Do you mean those… 'Heartless' monsters?" Lance said from the other line. There was a little static, but she could still hear him.

"Yes sir." She heard a sigh on the other line. She sighed herself.

"Very well then. Come back to base, so we can plan." Lost nodded.

"Yes sir, but—." she was interrupted.

"If you're asking to join the fight and help…" Lost felt a smile creep across her face, as she was about to jump off the roof.

"Then NO!" She stopped herself.

"Sir…WHY THE HELL NOT?" she asked forcefully, and rather loudly.

"Calm down Lost, and listen. I only let you contact Riku from your ship so we could be identified as allies, and not enemies. If you go down there, the whole plan is a bust. Don't you understand this?" Lost sighed, and sat down, still watching the battle raging.

She eyed Kairi and Sora the most, only glancing at Riku. Kairi had moved to Sora's position, while the King went to help Riku. She lay down, looking into the sky.

"Lost…do you read me?" Lance repeated.

"Yes…sir." Lost she grunted a reply, "But, what if they get hurt? Would that affect the plan? Or worse, what if one dies?!" She sat up, seeing Kairi being slashed by a Neoshadow's claw. Sora ran to her aid, and helped her kill the Heartless around her. Since it was only a cut, she was back in action a moment later.

"They'll be fine. They're Keyblade masters! Now get your ass back to base. I'll tell you your next mission once you arrive. Pike and Silva are here as well. Lance out."

"Yes sir…Lost out," she sighed. She took out her earpiece, and put it in her pocket. "God I hate him sometimes." She got up, and turned to walk away, but glanced back at the battle. She watched in amusement, not caring about the mission she had at the moment. "Why am I being controlled so easily?" she asked herself. Suddenly, and without warning, a Neoshadow attacked her from behind, slashing her back. "AHHHHHHH-mmmm," she covered her mouth. She summoned all her power into her hand, and a Keyblade appeared, with which she quickly slashed the Heartless away. Feeling the blood trickle down her back, she fell to her knees. She was sure she had given up her position. "Crap! Where did you come from?" she asked herself. She slowly stood up, and turned around. There were about twenty Neoshadows. She gulped nervously, getting into her fighting stance. Despite the pain in her back, she needed to fight.

"Well…I'm screwed…" she stated, as the Heartless charged her.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

The fight was over, or at least the Heartless had just stopped coming. The trio, along with the King, gathered at the Gummi Garage door. Everyone was fine, and Kairi's arm was going to be fine, as long as it was bandaged soon.

"Thanks guys. You came at the exact right time." Sora smiled, bowing since he was talking to a King.

"Good to see you well, Your Majesty," Sora greeted him. Riku also bowed, not saying anything. The King gave them both a happy look. He turned to Kairi.

"And thank you Kairi. If it wasn't for you, I would have been overwhelmed, and probably wouldn't have made it." Kairi blushed, and smiled.

"My pleasure sir." The King smiled at her, but then looked over his shoulder. He eventually turned his whole body, his ear twitching a bit.

"Do you hear that?" he asked softly. They all were silent, trying to listen. They all heard a distant scream. "We're not alone…" They all re-gripped their Keyblades, all of them looking in the same direction the King was.

The brown haired boy didn't see. "Huh? What do you mean? I heard it, but don't see anything!" the King merely pointed at the roof. Sora finally saw it. It was another warrior, screaming in pain, and fighting off dozens of Heartless and only a few Nobodies.

"We need to help!" Kairi cried. The boys agreed, but the King was still unsure.

"Only one should go. That person could signal for help if it's a trap. It would be easier to counter this way." The trio looked at each other, and then back to the King. They nodded.

"I'll go," Riku volunteered. "If I get hurt, I can counter easily, then call for help." The others nodded, and he ran toward the roof. The King turned to the others.

"Is it just me, or is he still sad about…you know, her?" The couple shrugged.

"If he is, he hides it pretty well," Sora replied. The royal mouse sighed and nodded.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Lost screamed again. Another Heartless scratched her already-wounded back. Blood seeped through her clothes. She was downed again, breathing deeply, as the Heartless prepared for another attack. She held her Keyblade tightly in her hand.

"Crap…okay, what to do?" she asked aloud. She decided to either duck or strike. At the moment, it seemed like attacking was the only option. She staggered into her fighting position. Firmly, she placed her feet, and held her Keyblade in front of her, while the other hand was swinging freely behind her. She quickly swung her blade at the Heartless.

The Heartless disappeared, as did the Nobodies. Among the darkness, a cry of pain was heard. Lost looked past the darkness.

"OH CRAP!" she yelled, slowly getting up, and running toward the figure, leaving a small trail of blood behind her.

Pain erupted from Riku's side. He was on the roof, bleeding.

"IT'S A TRAP! IT'S A TRAP!" he yelled as loud as he could. He started breathing deeply, trying to lessen the pain. He covered his wound with his hand. His vision was blurry, but he did see a figure running toward him.

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay? Can you see straight? How many fingers am I holding up?" she held up two fingers.

"No…uh…four?" Riku mumbled. The girl slapped him across the cheek, trying to clear his vision. It worked a little bit. He could get a good look at her. She had bright red hair that reached down her back. She wore a white shirt that seemed to be soaked in either red dye or blood, with a red tank top like shirt over her upper-torso. She wore black pants and black boots. Her eyes were…odd. One dark blue, and the other pine green.

"How about now? Any clearer?" Riku nodded. She slapped him again.

"OW! Geez! I said yes moron!" Riku yelled, then grunted in pain. The girl looked over him, and saw his friends were coming toward them.

"RIKU! HOLD ON!" Sora yelled. The girl's eyes widened.

"Oh…crap." She bent down and whispered into Riku's ear, "Leave and find Rinami…remember: Rinami." She ran as fast as she could toward the others. Sora summoned his Kingdom Key. The girl ran faster and faster toward them. She suddenly jumped, but Kairi grabbed her. She fell to the ground.

"Who are you?" Kairi asked. The girl looked at her in pure fear, and accidentally kicked Kairi in the face, and then rand again toward the other end. Sora ran after her, while the King looked at Kairi. The girl jumped off the castle, and fell into oblivion. Sora didn't notice the ship that flew away. He ran back to Riku and Kairi. Sora knelt down beside Kairi.

"You okay?" he said, giving her a quick hug. She nodded.

"My lip's bleeding, but other then that, I'm fine," she smiled, wiping the blood off her bottom lip. Sora nodded, and went to Riku.

"Is he okay?" Sora asked the King. The King nodded.

"See for yourself." Riku's cheek was red, and his side was cut.

"Riku…did you find anything about that girl?"

"Other then she's a bitch?" Riku muttered. Sora wanted to slap him.

"FOCUS! I'm not kidding!" Riku nodded.

"I…have to find Rinami…Rinami," He repeated the girl's words. The Queen came in moments later.

"What happened here, Mickey?" she asked. The King took her hand, and escorted her off the roof.

"I'll explain everything, Minnie…" Mickey said, starting to do just that. Sora helped Riku up, and Kairi followed. They met Mickey and Minnie in the library.

"We shall talk about what happened tomorrow. For now, retire to your rooms, it's getting dark." The trio nodded. Minnie treated Riku's wounds, and Kairi's lip stopped bleeding.

Lost

"LOST! DID I SAY YOU COULD GET INVOLVED? DID I? HUH?" Lance's voice boomed through the speakers of her ship. Lost's shirt was almost pure red, because of the blood. She tried to concentrate on the air space in front of her.

She did feel guilty, however, she broke orders, put the mission in jeopardy, and most importantly, hurt an ally.

"LOST! Did I tell you you could get involved…? Do you even read me?"

"Y-yes s-sir…I read you. I understand my failure, but I didn't even know Riku was there…" she didn't say anymore. All she wanted to do was help the masters.

"Lost…I understand your motives, and I'll give you one more chance. If you screw this up, then you're out of a job. Understand?" Lost felt a small amount of tears fall down her cheeks.

"You are too kind, sir."

"I know I am. The only good side about your folly is…Riku…Ami." The line went dead for a few seconds. It became all static.

"Sir? Lance, do you read me? LANCE COME IN!" she heard laughing on the other line. She could tell it was another male.

"I'm sorry, but Lance isn't here at the moment. May I take a message?" Lost could tell he was mocking her.

"Who is this? This a private channel, so get off and put codename Lance back on!" She heard more laughter. Who was this guy?

"Like I said before, he's away. Why don't you talk to me awhile, just until he comes back?" Lost flinched, growing afraid.

"PUT LANCE BACK ON OR FACE THE CONSEQUENCES!" Lost yelled sternly.

"I almost killed you once…but that doesn't mean I won't try again…" Lost's eyes widened. At that moment, she was scared out of her mind.

"Y-you! It can't be!" she yelled back, "I…I thought you DIED! How did you survive?" her voice was trembling.

"I've finally found you…Aura…" Lost quickly switched off the com-link, breathing deeply. Her back started to hurt again.

"I can't go back to base…I know…" She turned her ship into an unknown gate, and flew in. Her ship disappeared into space.

Back at the castle, later that night

Kairi lay awake in bed. All she could hear was Sora's snoring in the room next to hers.

"Why does there have to be a war? I don't want one." She sighed, getting out of bed, and going to the window. "What does fighting solve anyway?"

"Oh, my dear. You have no idea…" a voice said from behind. Kairi turned around, seeing a man wearing black everything.

"Who are you…AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM?" she shouted. Sora's snoring ended.

"Kairi?" he mumbled, even though she couldn't hear him, "Do you have any idea what time it is?" he fell back asleep.

"My dear, dear Keyblade master," the man began. "You don't know the half of it. The only thing that worries me," he summoned a sword of some kind, "are the other masters…which, sadly my dear, includes you." He charged to attack.

"AH! NO!" she screamed, summoning her Keyblade and blocking his attack. "SORA! RIKU!"

Riku

It was hard to lie down on his bed, due to his side. Riku's eyes flickered open, and he sat up, feeling a jolt of pain shoot up his side. He grunted, and held it.

"Damn it…" The bandages around his waist felt a little tight, but he didn't mind. It was quiet, and he was wide-awake. He didn't even know the time. Yet he felt uneasy, but didn't know why. He got up, and put on his shirt and vest—he had kept on his jeans as he slept. He laced up his shoes, and walked out the door, and toward the library, wondering who Rinami was. He walked slowly, for it was surprisingly cold. Finally finding the door to the study, he slowly opened it, finding Minnie reading a book. She looked over to the opened door.

"Riku? Is that you?" she asked. He walked into the study.

"Your Highness?" he bowed before speaking again, "Why are you here? I thought you would need your sleep as well." She nodded, and then smiled.

"Well, I slept most of today, so I'm fine. I decided to look up Rinami. Would you like to see what I have found?" He nodded, walking toward her.

"That would be helpful. Thank you, Your Highness." He looked over her, and skimmed the page she was on.

_Rinami,_

_Rinami is the name she takes, for her real name is unknown. People interpret her as a monster, other say she is a goddess. Her hair, as green as the pure emerald, her eyes, as clear as garnet. Many years ago, hunters set her dear forest on fire. Rinami survived, and cared for her forest, bringing it back to life. She became goddess of the forest, and has forever claimed that title. Her domain is as beautiful her she is, but is locked away, and no one knows the truth of where it may lie. All we know is that she lets in the people she trusts, or has some kind of connection with. Many say she is merely unreal, fictional. Others say she is real, and will one day trust humankind once again, allowing us to see her, and her domain again. Rinami, a creature of great power and wonder. One would think when she would help the greater good, instead of hiding. One can dream though. _

Riku looked at Minnie, with a confused expression of his face. "So…this Rinami person…is a forest goddess. We're supposed to find someone who has been lost for years?" Minnie nodded.

"All we can do is try, Riku. I mean, Rinami may be an ally to us during this tough time."

Riku did give her that. Rinami would indeed be a good ally in the war. "We would need to convince her though, Queen Minnie." He looked at the page. "If what this says is true, then it will be hard to do so." Minnie nodded, agreeing with him. They heard a scream outside the door. Riku quickly looked away from the book.

"What was that?" he asked. Minnie's eyes widened. She looked at him with a concerned expression.

"KAIRI!" they said in unison, and both ran out the door and toward her room. Riku found that Sora was already there.

"What a surprise…" he mumbled. He found Kairi on the floor, petrified. She wore a blue dress skit, with the same white dress under it. Sora had on his normal attire.

"What happened?" Sora asked again. Kairi hugged Sora as hard as she could, even if he couldn't breathe.

"W-well…I was in my room, l-looking out the window. When t-this guy comes in and tries to k-kill me!" her sobs made it hard to understand.

"Do you remember what he said?" Minnie asked, trying to comfort the redhead. She nodded.

"He s-said something about k-killing the Keyb-blade masters!" Sora and Riku looked at each other. They all heard clapping from the inside of Kairi's room. All heads turned toward it.

"Very good Kairi! You actually spat it out!" said the figure. "I thought you wouldn't have the guts."

"WHO ARE YOU?" Sora asked, giving Kairi to Riku to comfort. The male laughed.

"Came and find out…" And with that, he smashed through the window, breaking the glass, and scattering the shards all over the floor.

"Riku and I will find out who this guy is. Minnie, stay with Kai-." A furious Kairi interrupted him.

"No Sora!" Kairi retorted, letting go of Riku. "Remember our promise? If one goes, we all go. I was just startled anyway…" Riku rolled his eyes.

"I could beg to differ," he mumbled under his breath, but nodded to his friend.

"Fine then, let's go before he gets away!" Riku said, running toward the courtyard. Minnie followed, knowing that they would need her help.

Courtyard

"My plan…is falling into place. First I scare the crap out of that one girl, and now, I kill the trio of masters…what fun," the man mumbled. He saw the three enter the courtyard.

"WHO ARE YOU!"? Sora yelled again.

"My identity is not important…little master."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"…Bold Keyblade wielders. Do you have any idea what you have gotten into? This won't be like your other adventures. It's way different. It will not be as easy as you think, even if you all are together." He snapped his fingers and Heartless appeared, surrounding the four of them. They had real amour on their torsos, bright red eyes, and large antennas. All of them carried swords. They held back, hitting their feet against the ground, waiting for the hooded mans command. He eyed the Queen, and spoke again.

"Your highness…this is no place for a queen…" He snapped his fingers again, and the Heartless made a path for her to leave. "You may leave." She turned to Sora, who nodded, mouthing 'Go'. She walked slowly down the path, and then started to run. He snapped his fingers again, and the Heartless began to attack in swarms. This time, it was much harder. "As I said before…" the hooded voice yelled. "This isn't a game anymore." The trio has barely any time to react to what happened. They began to fight, protecting each other.

"DRIVE THEM ALL TOGETHER!" Riku yelled, jumping over a wall of swords, and landed by the courtyard's wall. "STAY TOGETHER!" Sora and Kairi obeyed, fighting them inward.

"NOW!" Riku yelled again, and a beam of light blasted a major gap in the Heartless army. Kairi looked up, and saw Minnie had used her Light spell. Riku's side was throbbing in pain. He tried ignoring it, but it hurt every time he moved. "Darn it I'm slowing down…" It started to bleed a little.

"Light!" Minnie cried, blasting the remaining Heartless back into darkness. Riku started breathing deeply, going over to Sora and Kairi. They all heard more clapping.

"I didn't think you would get this far. Congratulations!" the man walked over toward them. Riku got in front of his friends, for they had not recovered from the fight yet. He wanted to show no weakness.

"You challenge me boy? HA!" he launched a ball of dark energy toward Riku. He blocked it, but was not ready for his next attack. He launched another dark ball at him. Riku dodged, but was blinded by a strong light. The next thing he knew, he was pinned to the wall by a form of light holding its back. His Keyblade was still in his hand. He struggled and tried to get free, but failed.

He couldn't move, and the hooded figure was walking toward him. He got real close to Riku ear, whispering, "It's over…Riku." He summoned a Keyblade of his own.

"RIKU! NO!" Sora and Kairi yelled, finally recovered. They ran as fast as they could toward their friend in need. They wouldn't be able to reach him in time. The figure proceeded to attack. Riku knew he was done for. He screamed as loud as he could, and disappeared on the spot, before the attack reached him.

"What? I didn't even hit him!" the figure mumbled. Sora and Kairi stopped in their tracks. The man had to retreat. "Consider this a warning…" he said, before vanishing. Mickey and Minnie ran out to meet the other two.

"Are you okay?" Mickey asked.

Sora shook his head. "Riku…he's…"

Minnie shook her head. "No, he's not. He was teleported by someone outside from here! If he were killed, his body would still be here."

Kairi agreed with Minnie. "She's right Sora. We'll find out where he went in time. Now, we should go to bed, and get some sleep." They all nodded, and headed into the castle.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Fantasia

Riku finally awoke, his side hurting less now. He was lying in dew-covered grass. He sat up, and looked around, still on all fours.

"Where…am I?" he muttered. He finally stood up, holding his strained side with his free hand. The other hand held his Keyblade. He walked around the forest domain, taking in all he could. The leaves on the trees were emerald, and the trunks were garnet. "Just like the book said…does that mean Rinami's here too?" he asked himself. He came to a pond that was sprinkled with the rising sun's light. A giant willow tree was on its bank, each leaf sewn carefully to the next.

"Greetings, young Keyblade master," came a sweet voice, which seemed to give Riku a sense of relaxation. He breathed deeply, keeping his ground.

"Show yourself!" he demanded, getting ready to fight. A young woman, by look about her twenties, came out of the willow tree. Her hair was forest green, and her skin and garments were the same. Her eyes were brown. Birds flew around her, and even in her hair, all chirping a happy sing. She giggled, as she pet one bird. Riku was stunned. "Who are you?" he asked blankly, lowering his weapon. The woman giggled again.

"Oh, I am no one special. I am merely Rinami…" she answered.

Sorry about the long update. I had writers block for a while, but I was glad I finally got this written. It was hard. I was also sick, so I couldn't post until now. Sorry…

Destiny out!


	4. Lost is Found Chapter 3

Hey guys, I just want say sorry about the long update. I just haven't had the motivation to write. Sorry if it's crappy. By the way, this story is now AU (Alternate Universe) I'm also sorry if I didn't make that clear.

ONWARD!

Chapter 4

Lost is found

Riku stared for a few moments, but then bowed before her. Rinami giggled, flattered by his respect. "Rise dear one. There is no need for flattery," Rinami ordered, her voice sweet, giving Riku a sense of comfort.

"But you're a goddess! I should at least give you a little respect," Riku replied nervously.

Rinami smiled, but then gave him a significant look. "Riku, warrior of the Keyblade, I plea for your help." Riku bowed again.

"What is wrong?" he asked.

"Once again, the worlds are in danger; the Heartless once again have multiplied. The worlds needs you."

"Right…wait. How do you know my name, or the fact I'm a Keyblade master?" Rinami smiled, sweeping her hand across his check, making him blush, but relax. She also pointed to his Keyblade, making him feel like a total moron.

"I know many things about you, Riku. I know you reside on the Destiny Islands. I know your Keyblade's name is 'The Way to Dawn'. I know your best friends' names are Sora, and Kairi. I have been watching you for a long time Riku."

Riku suddenly got this weird feeling. "Uh…wait, what?" Rinami giggled, but understood what he was feeling.

"Don't worry Riku, I do not mean it that way. I mean I have been watching you fight, and I understand your pain and suffering. Worry not dear one, for I am your ally." Riku sighed relieved.

"_Well, making her our ally was easier then I thought…"_ he thought to himself. "Thank you, Rinami," said Riku.

"Please…call me Ami." Riku nodded. "Now, back important matters. New worlds have risen. Worlds of light…and worlds of darkness. Each world has a Keyblade master with one power you do not have."

"What is it?" Riku asked, "What's this power?"

"The world's Keyblade master has the power to rid the seal of darkness that covers the world's Keyhole, and replace them with seals of pure light. Therefore, ridding the Heartless from the world for good," she explained, and sat down on the grass. She ran a hand through her glittering hair, making some birds fly out from the shelter it provided.

"What about the Nobodies?" Riku inquired.

"Do you not remember how the Nobodies are formed? When a person with a strong heart turns Heartless, a Nobody is formed. Without the Heartless, Nobodies can't be formed." Riku nodded, understanding and feeling a little stupid.

"So my job is to find the world's Keyblade master, and replace the seal?" Rinami nodded.

"Your world holds a special seal that shouldn't need to be replaced, but do not think it is safe. Go back as soon as can-"

"Rinami! Mother Rinami!" a distant female voice cried. Rinami looked over Riku and in the distance. Riku turned and saw a girl who looked strangely familiar running towards him. The girl plowed through him, pushing him into a pound. He plunged into the surprisingly, deep pond, sinking a bit. The white haired teen's side stung as the water grazed his tender skin. He swam up to the surface, breaking it and gasping for air.

"What did you say? Hon many did you fight?" Rinami asked rather concernedly. Riku staggered out of the water, holding his ride in pain. Rinami walked over and helped white haired teen.

"What the heck? Who pushed me?" Riku exclaimed. Rinami sighed, straightening him up, and giving the girl a look. She looked back, them both an embarrassed smile.

"I did that... didn't I?" Rinami and a pissed Riku nodded. "…Oops."

"Now is not the time. Dear one, what happened again?" The female became uneasy, and suddenly in a hurry.

"Our sacred grove is being decimated! Heartless, Nobodies…and an Elite!"

"No…Riku. Go with her and protect the grove. That grove holds our seal; if it dies, we die! I will be there shortly." Riku nodded, still holding his side. Rinami placed her hand on the tender wound. Slowly, the pain lessened, and disappeared. He touched his side. She had healed him.

"Thank you, come on!" The girl nodded. They ran into the forest, dodging trees as they went.

"You're a master…aren't you?" the girl asked, tension in her voice.

"Yeah…why?" Riku asked not turning to her. He sensed the stress in her voice. Why was she so unsure?

"I …was wondering. Look!" Riku saw a small Island, surrounded by glittering water. It had one tree in the exact middle of the island. No Heartless or Nobodies were to be seen. "Let's go," the female red head said. They swam around the trees growing out of the water. Once they stepped on a small spit of land, water Heartless and Ninja-Nobodies appeared.

"Riki! Don't just stand there! Save the seal!" Riku came to his senses and quickly summoned the 'Way to the Dawn,' and used a quick lighting spell. He blasted the lake dwelling Heartless out of the water and out of existence. The fighting female took on went nobodies, and was holding out nicely. She went through the steps, hitting the ninjas back with small swings of her odd looking blade. A ninja came from behind her, slashing her back with the edge of its sword.

"Ahhh! Damn it not again!" she screamed.

"Wait a minute…again?" he used another lightning spell, thinking as he fought. _'Again…who had a wound on their back, and it just opened again…I GOT IT!'_ he figured it out. It finally came to him. "YOU! You're the bi-…I mean, girl form the castle!" She tensed up, realizing what she had just revealed. She slashed another Nobody, and turned to him.

'_Oh…crap! Why did I have to say that? I'm doomed. WAIT, maybe I can fake him out!'_ "I have no idea who you're talking about! I don't even know your name…uh…Rikiko?"

"Don't lie! And my name is Riku for your information!" He ran to help her, for she was being over-run.

"Alright fine Riko, you figured me out, I'm that girl from the castle, but can I explain a little later?" They both were surrounded by ninjas. Riku handed her a potion.

"It'll help your back…for now." She nodded, drinking the whole thing down. She cringed in detest.

"Ew…those things taste REALLY BAD!" she cried, hitting another Nobody. Riku used a blizzard spell on two at a time, freezing them together. He then slashed them into the pond.

"We got them Rikey!" the girl yelled triumphantly. The battle seemed like it was all over.

"It's over you stupid demons! We have-." The girl was cut off when she was hit on the collarbone with the butt of a ninjas sword. She fell on the grass, as if she had just fallen asleep.

"GIRL WHO'S NAME I DON'T KNOW!" Riku yelled, jumping behind the ninja, leaving him in duel stance. The ninja turned around, also in duel stance. They both stood there, waiting for the other to attack.

"Don't move Riku, just wait…wait for that moment to strike." He said to himself. The ninja just stood there, also not moving a muscle. Random cherry blossom petals started to fall. They both still stood motionless.

"_NOW!" _Riku thought, dashing toward the nobody, slicing it in half. It fell and exploded in a cloud of white smoke. After he made sure the thing died, he ran to wake up the girl.

"Hey…you okay?" she stirred, groaning. He shook her a bit, but she didn't want to wake up. Riku, wanting revenge from before, slapped her across the cheek, not as hard as she did to him, but enough to wake her up.

"AH! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!" she sprang up, and backed into the pond of water surrounding them. Her back started hurting again, as the water grazed the scratches. Riku dived in to bring her to shore, for she was barely treading water.

'_This girl is just one disaster after another!' _he thought rather angrily. He put the girl on his back.

"That's it. She's dazed and confused, like still in a dream from that hit. It's not her fault." Riku was about to get out, when a Keyblade almost hit his hand.

"AH! Oh my god!" he pushed off the side to get a better look, the girl still on his back. It was a creature wearing armor from head to toe, holding a rusty looking Keyblade...which kind of looked like Sora's own blade.

"No…an Elite…" the girl muttered form behind him. Riku looked back, and spoke.

"Feeling better…what's your name again?" the girl rolled her eyes.

"You're such a dope…well if you must know, it's Aur-AHHHHHH! LOOK OUT!" The Elite summoned a lightning spell.

Riku summoned his blade, calling "REFLECT!" The spell reflected off a shield. The Elite this time fired a blizzard spell at them. "Hold on!" the girl clutched to him, as he dove into the water to dodge as the spelled fired. He swam up, gasping for air, as did the girl.

"Hold on dear ones! I shall not let this foul creature harm you!" It was Rinami. She jumped across the pond and onto the land, wielding a green blade that had vines growing up it. It was somewhat normal length, (about the size of 'Circle of Life') and flowers made the top of it. She hit the Elite away.

"You are safe, dear ones! Quickly, out of the water before he freezes you under!" the girl climbed off of Riku and swam to Rinami. Riku did the same, still holding his Keyblade. Rinami charged the Elite, hitting it up into the air, and started shooting it with Thundaga.

"Aura! I need your Keyblade!" the redheaded girl nodded, and started straining to summon it. The Elite landed, and started running toward Rinami.

"AURA!" It finally appeared, and she threw it to Rinami. The forest goddess caught it, parrying a strike the Elite threw. "It is time for you to leave." She began her combo. She hit downward, jumping into the air, launching fireballs at it. She landed, slashing it upward into the air, throwing one of the Keyblades after it, then jumped up and caught it, stabbing the armored form with one, and hitting it toward Riku and Aura with the other.

"RIKU! FREEZE IT!" Rinami yelled. Riku nodded, concentrating all his blizzard power into the top part of his blade.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but EAT FREEZE! Man, that's cheesy!" he jumped, allowing the Elite to go under him. He pointed his Keyblade down, hitting his leg slightly, but freezing the Elite in place.

"O-oh god…I c-can't feel my l-leg…" he mumbled, already cold. Rinami landed, handing Aura back her blade.

"Thank you for your help…wow Riku, did you do that or did the Elite?" Aura started to snicker.

"A s-slight misc-calculation…on m-my p-p-part." He was freezing. The frost was crawling up his leg. Aura had to answer.

"FIRAGA!" she shot his leg with a gigantic ball of fire. He screamed, but his leg unfroze.

"OW! GOD WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU? AH, CRAP! I'M ON FIRE!" His pants caught fire, and he quickly jumped into the pond to keep the fire from spreading.

"Hey, at least you're unfrozen," she offered, holding in her laughter. "I never knew a boy could run so fast while on fire…" she snickered.

"Yeah, yeah. Very funny Aur-AHHHHHH!" he mocked her as he swam to the island. She gave him a mean look. He climbed up, and flipped his hair so the spare water hit her. They both looked at Rinami, who hadn't said a word. She sighed, and the Elite started to crumble, dissolving into the air.

"Looks like it's only a Dark Elite. Come now let us return to my willow tree. But first…" she pointed her blade at the tree. A circle emerged, only a little taller then her in circumference.

"What is that?" Aura asked Rinami. She grunted an answer.

"It is the seal of this world, Fantasia. I felt it needed replacing sooner then later."

The seal was black, and Riku and Aura guessed it was in dire need of replacing. A beam of light shot out of her blade, and targeted the middle. The light spread throughout the seal, slowly making it light again. She pulled back, taking off the seal off the world.

"Quickly Keyblade wielders. Look inside." The two teens ran over, and peered behind the seal. It was all black, nothing around it. Then they saw the gigantic white heart. It was the heart of the world.

"Whoa…that thing's huge!" Aura cried, staring the enormous heart. Riku pondered the reason why the space around the heart was darkness. Wasn't it supposed to be light?

"Back now, I cannot hold on!" Rinami commanded. They obeyed, and pulled back. Rinami put the seal back, breaking the connection. The seal flashed a bright light, before disappearing. Rinami panted, getting down on one knee.

"Doing that…takes a lot…out of me I guess…" she spat out. She stood up, shaking her head, letting her hair flow behind her. Aura helped her stay up on two feet.

"Let us go back, so we can plan our next move. I shall meet you there." She jumped across the pond, and ran into the forest. Riku and Aura were forced to swim and walk.

"So…your name's Aura?" Riku asked. Aura nodded, not looking at him.

"Yeah, what's it to ya…Rika?" she guessed. He growled at her.

"It's RIKU! R-I-K-U! It's not that hard! GEEZ!" He put a hand on his head, as if he had a headache.

"Well, SORRY, Riku. I just haven't heard many people named after dirt," she smirked.

"Well, they're aren't that many people named Aura either," he retorted.

"Well at least I'm not named after dirt!" she started to run. Riku gave chase.

"You did not just go there!" Riku yelled back, racing after her.

10 minutes later

"How do you know my name means dirt? It could be like…land, or continent!" Riku said, kind of pissed off at the girl. They finally got to Rinami's grove.

"Nope, it's dirt. I know this for a fact," Aura replied, sitting on a nearby rock. "Hey, my name means the mystical emotions manufactured into a mist-like quality, or…glowing light, but I'm not complaining." Aura went into the tree to find Rinami. Riku stood by the pond.

"Wow…what an asshole…" he muttered. Rinami came out. Riku saw her and bowed.

"Riku, I cannot thank you enough for helping us seal our world. Now I hope you have the general idea of what you must do on this quest, am I correct?" He nodded.

"I do. I'll make sure that I protect the worlds from the Heartless and Nobodies…again," he paused, frowning at his next question. "But, what about that other creature? You said it was an Elite?" Rinami nodded, pointing to a rock for him to sit.

"The Elites are masters of the Keyblades, sworn to either protect or destroy worlds. We fought a very untrained Elite, one that was just like any other normal Heartless or Nobody. Some though, have the talent to communicate with us. I was hoping we could get a clue from where they are coming from, so we can stop them for good." Rinami looked out past the pond near the tree. "Riku, I know you don't have the means to travel, so you should spend the night here. Aura, would you be so kind as to get some firewood? I think a fish soup is in order." Aura nodded, grinning at the idea of soup.

"Yes Mother Rinami, I shall be back in a flash." She turned to go.

"Wait Aura. Is your back okay? It looks painful." Rinami touched her back, making her flinch.

"OW! Only if you touch it, it hurts. Riku gave me a potion, and that numbed the pain a little bit, but it hurts still." Rinami nodded, using some of her healing power to make the wound disappear. When her back was fully healed, Aura turned around, and gave Rinami a hug.

"Thank you Mother." She ran into the forest. Rinami turned back to Riku.

"Riku, this pond here homes many types of fish. Could you collect five fish for the soup?" He nodded, taking off his already drenched vest, and throwing it on the rock.

"No problem." He dove into the water, already catching one fish.

More time passes

Aura came back with a big bundle of sticks in her arms. "This should be more then enough I hope," she said to herself. She pulped the wood down, and saw Riku having only three fish. Aura snickered again.

"Having a little trouble there, Riku?" she asked as he resurfaced. He turned toward her, holding the fish he already caught in one hand.

"No, I got it. It's just these fish are faster then I thought," he replied, diving in and trying to catch another fish. "Darn…" Aura took off her now unwearable white shirt, but kept on the red tank top shirt, and dove into the water, catching two fish on the spot. She resurfaced, holding them in her hand.

"You just gotta know where they live, Riku." She got out of the water, and started ringing out her hair. Riku also got out, taking the fish away from Aura.

"You just got lucky…" he mumbled. She smiled.

"No, I've been here longer then you, so I know where the fish live. You're just jealous." Riku gave her a look. Rinami came out with a pot, made out of cast iron. Riku had no idea where she got one of those in the middle of a forest.

"Nice job Riku. You got us five nice ones." Aura started setting up the fire. Since her Keyblade wasn't with her, she started to strain to summon it. After five minutes, she gave up.

"ARG! I can't figure out how to summon my Keyblade when I'm NOT in battle!" she cried. Rinami frowned. Riku spoke up,

"Send all your power, your physical, and your mental power into your hand, then your keyblade should appear." Aura tried, taking a deep breath, and closing her eyes.

"_Come to me…"_ she thought to herself. Finally, it appeared after two full minutes of focusing. She used a fire spell to light the fire.

"Thanks Riku…that helped."

"You should practice more, then you'll be able to do this." He whipped out his arm, and his Keyblade appeared like it was nothing.

Aura glared at him. "Show off…" she muttered. Rinami put the pot on the fire, letting the broth she made start to boil, and soon added the fish. Riku sat next to her, while Aura went off into the forest.

"Aura is supposed to be a Keyblade wielder, right Ami? But, she doesn't even know how to summon her blade. That's basic when it comes to wielding," Riku mused while the soup boiled. Rinami sighed.

"She has been a wielder ever since she landed in my domain, which has only been a few months dear one," Rinami replied. "You have been a wielder ever since you were a small child, practicing with your wooden sword with Sora."

"_Wow…she's good." _Riku thought to himself. Rinami smiled.

"Ever since the war, Aura has been trying to learn by herself, putting in countless hours of training. Summoning the blade is the hardest thing for her. She knows magic, and has a very exceptional fighting style, but when it comes to getting the blade ready for battle, she has major trouble."

Rinami sighed, "I learned quickly, but it just couldn't be done for her the same way it was for me. I think I learned faster then her because I am this world's master, but I wish for her to learn as well." She took the lid off the pot and started to stir the soup. "Life has been hard for the both of us, but now since we know you're here to help, it gives us hope. Aura may not show it, but she is grateful you are here." She got up, and went to get some bowls. Aura came back, sweating like a dog, holding her Keyblade in her hands.

"Whew…is dinner ready? I'm starved…" Riku nodded. Rinami came back, handing a bowl to Riku and Aura.

"Enjoy dear ones. You deserve it." She placed a ladle full of soup in each bowl.

"If you don't mind me asking, where did you get these bowls?" Rinami smiled.

"Let's just say if the gate is open, and people fly here, they leave in such a hurry, they forget things." Riku gulped, widening his eyes. He looked at the soup. It was a sort of cream color, with little red pieces of fish here and there. He sipped it, giving it a taste. It was thick, and went down the throat hot. Aura slowly ate hers, looking at the setting sun. "Well dear ones, I must retire. The forest sleeps and so do I. You're welcome to stay, Riku, but if you feel you must leave, I'm sorry I won't see you go." She bowed, and went into her willow tree. Riku continued to eat, looking at the dusk sky. It began to turn a dark blue. The fire cracked, giving them some light. Aura went to wash her face and bowl. Riku finally finished his first helping, and took the rest for himself, which was only half a ladle full.

"You not hungry?" Aura asked. Riku turned, taking a sip of soup.

"Just…thinking about the future, and what's gonna happen." He sipped again.

"Just don't think too hard, or you might loose that levelheadedness of yours," Aura said sarcastically. Riku rolled his eyes.

"You're getting on my nerves…" He finished the soup and went to wash it. Aura was washing the blood off her white shirt, ignoring him for a second.

"Crap…damn my shirt for being so light and easy to rip. I'm gonna need a new one." Riku took his vest off the rock where he left it to dry in the sun, and put it on.

"How long have you been here Aura?" Riku asked. Aura turned, toward him.

"Oh, about two months or so, why?"

"No reason, just wanted to know." Aura went over to put the fire out, sitting next to him.

"I came here by accident, but it was a good accident. I remember drifting in darkness for a while, but Mother Rinami took me in before the darkness could take my heart. I was so grateful she did." She lay back. "You could say I came from nowhere, but I know my home is somewhere out there." She turned away from Riku for a second, and then sat up. "It's sad really, but I don't even remember my parents at all." Riku suddenly felt bad for her.

"How did you get your Keyblade? Does it have a name?" Aura sat up, and nodded.

"Yeah, I named it 'Lighted Way.' The name came to me in a dream, just like the blade itself. Before I disappeared from my world, I had a dream about the blade. A voice told me that it was a weapon of great power, and that I had to learn how to use it. It guided me here, and ever since I've been training to learn about it." Riku nodded, understanding where she was coming from now. The sky turned its bluish black color.

"Well, you should sleep Riku. You had it hard, I guess." Aura got up, and moved to sleep by the pond. "By the way, it should be easy to sleep here. Your bed fits your namesake…Dirt!"

"GOOD NIGHT AURA!" Riku snapped, drifting off slowly. Aura got up, and saw him fast asleep. The walked a little ways into the forest. She took out an earpiece type of thing, and put it on.

"Com connect to gummi ship, code named Twilight, COM link 5. Lance, do you read me? It's Lost…" her voice was only a whisper. Lance's voice rang in her ear.

"Ah! Lost, good to hear from you. How goes the mission?" his voice was cracking a lot. Aura just ignored it.

"It's going exactly according to plan. Shall I commence phase 3?"

"Roger that, make sure you learn as much as you can from him. Lance out."

"Copy that, and will do. Lost out." She put the earpiece away, and walked back to Rinami's tree.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Morning broke and Riku awoke, stretching up and yawning. He saw Aura still sound asleep, wearing her light white shirt again. He grinned.

"Revenge…" he carefully lifted her up, and held her bridle style. Her bright red hair fell reaching almost to his ankle, but not quite. He was about to launch her into the pond. Her eyes flickered open.

"What the…Riku?" she said sleepily. Riku smirked.

"Morning," he greeted her before throwing her into the pond. She yelped, and hit the water, causing it to splash poor Rinami as she came out.

"What is this?" she asked. Riku grinned devilishly.

"Just a little early morning revenge. Nothing bad, just felt giving her a nice wake up call." Rinami laid her hand on her forehead.

"I assume it's your revenge for her taking advantage of your name meaning dirt?" Riku blushed, nodding. Rinami giggled. Aura resurfaced and her shirt totally wrecked.

"Okay, my shirt's dead. Rinami, I need a new one." She swam to the edge, getting out dripping wet. She eyed the smiling Riku. "I…hate you," she grumbled. Rinami came out with a new shirt, exactly the same as her old.

"Here dear one, go change. I need to talk to Riku." She handed her the shirt, and she ran off. Rinami turned to Riku.

"I have a surprise for you Riku dear. Follow me." She walked only a little way, until she stopped in front of a gummi ship. Riku's upgraded gummi ship. He looked in amazement.

"Is this mine?" he asked, going toward it. Rinami nodded. Riku's smile grew. Then something came to him. He looked for his keys, but they weren't in his pockets.

"What? Where are my keys?" he asked, "And that raises the question of how my ship got here…" Aura came by, wearing the clean shirt.

"Well," Aura interjected, "It's kind of a long story…"

_Flashback_

"_How many fingers am I holding up?" she put a hand near his pocket. _

"_Uh…four?" she slapped him across the face; quickly pick pocketed him, looking for his keys. _

"_Darn…not there" she thought. "How about now?" she said. Switching hands so she could try the other pocket. He nodded. _

"_Crap, you were supposed to say no…I better make something up, and quickly." She slapped him again, reaching for his pocket. She found the keys, and pulled them out. _

"_OW! WHAT THE HELL, I SAID YES!" Riku cried. Aura pulled back, only to see his friends running toward him. _

"_Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!" she bent down to his ear. _

"_Leave and find Rinami…Remember: Rinami." She bolted past him with the keys in hand. She had finally summoned her blade, and used it to jump over Sora, but Kairi grabbed her. _

"_Who are you?" she commanded. Aura panicked. _

"_CRAP! I CAN'T FAIL…sorry girl." She round-housed kicked Kairi to get her off. Sora started chasing her. She jumped off the roof, planning the move exactly. She landed in a bush, and quickly made her way into the gummi ship hanger. _

"_Finally done! Riku is gonna be so surprised!" came a squeaky high-pitched voice. _

"_Yeah, we should show him now!" Aura had to hide. She climbed up the wall, holding her position for a good ten minutes. When they finally left, Aura used the keys to start the ship, and took off. She sighed, happy that it was over. _

_End of Flashback_

"YOU WHAT?" Riku yelled at her.

"Hey, if it weren't for me, you wouldn't have a ship, okay? You should be thanking me!" Riku was furious.

"You freaking pick pocketed me! Why should I be thanking you?" Rinami pushed them apart.

"HUSH BOTH OF YOU!" she ordered. "This is no time to argue! Now you two hug and make up!" They both turned away, pissed off. "Come on, I won't let you two go until you hug." Rinami turned them around again. Slowly, they embraced. It was short, but they did. Aura pushed away.

"You smell like fish…" she mumbled. He rolled his eyes.

"Good. Now Riku dear, I wish you the best of luck. Please help the worlds, and remember you can come back anytime you wish. The Keyblade masters are always welcome here." He nodded, bowing, but Rinami hugged him.

"Remember Riku, you give the worlds hope. You give all of us hope…" She let go, and he nodded.

"I still need my keys," he mumbled. Aura held them up, and Riku snatched them away. He was about to board his ship when Aura called him back.

"Wait…" she said regretfully. "I'm sorry I was such a jerk to you…but, if you need an ally…I'll come with you. I wanna learn more about the Keyblade, and how I can use it. By observing you, I think I can." Riku was amazed at how modest she was.

"So, you're willing to become my student of sorts?" She nodded, bowing. Riku smiled.

"Just stay out of trouble." She gasped and smiled, running toward the entrance, but turned back to Rinami. She ran over and hugged the goddess.

"Thank you Mother…for all you've done. I don't know how I can ever repay you…"

"The one thing you can do for me, dear one, is save the worlds. Learn about the Keyblade, and help Riku and his friends all the way." She looked up, tears starting to form. "Go now…" Rinami said, eyes wetting with tears of her own, pushing the girl off on her way. The ship took off, and they disappeared from the world.

"Good bye, my daughter…" Rinami said, weeping and going back to her tree. "Stay safe, and become the greatest Keyblade master ever…"

Alright, that's it. Please, please review, don't be a shadow reader. I need the encouragement and/or inspiration.

Destiny Out!

(Hello there, this is Captain Merasparrow. I understand that this chapter was late in coming out, and I feel I must take the blame. I am Destiny's beta reader, but I never got around to editing this chapter for her and for you. I apologize and sincerely hope that you all continue to enjoy her stories. Thank you.)

She's so nice…Thanks for everything Mera, this chapter goes out to you!


	5. Discovery and Explanation Chapter 4 P1

1I am so sorry about taking so long! I have had no motivation, or inspiration! Sorry, I'll try and get better at this. Thanks for reviewing…if anyone did. Please review…that helps a lot.

RA-Riku and Aura

SK- Sora and Kairi

Chapter 4 Discovery and Explanation part 1

SK

Kairi slowly and silently ate her breakfast, feeling not at all better about the night before. Riku was gone…again, and this time by a force they had never seen or heard of before. Even thinking about Riku breaking their promise, and going back into darkness, it made her skin crawl.

"Kairi…are you okay?" Minnie asked from across the table. Kairi looked over, still in a daze.

"What? Oh, yeah I'm fine. I was just thinking…that's all." She faked a smile. Minnie saw right through it.

"You're worried about Riku…aren't you?" the mouse asked, great concern in her voice. Kairi sighed, and nodded. She couldn't hide it any longer. She stabbed her eggs and bacon with her fork, and gently placed it in her mouth. After chewing, she gave Minnie another glance.

"Yeah…I am," she replied. Minnie smiled. She sensed her fear and pain for losing her friend.

"Kairi…all I can say is don't worry. He's fine. Sora's also worried, but I know if you work together, you'll find him." This made Kairi smile. Minnie, the queen of Disney Castle, cared so much for her that she worried about her.

"You really shouldn't have to worry about me, Your Highness. I'm fine. Sora and I can handle finding him." She frowned again. "I'm just afraid that something bad will happen to him." At that, the doors opened, and Sora entered the room.

"GOOD MORNING!" he said loudly, stretching his long arms. Kairi swallowed her eggs, and smiled.

"Hey Sora!" she rose, and went over toward him. They embraced, and he softly kissed her on the cheek. She smiled happily, and the couple sat down again. Sora had just noticed the female mouse across from her.

"Your Highness! I'm sorry, I didn't notice you there!" Minnie went into a fit of giggles. She finally calmed down.

"It's all right…So, how did you sleep, Sora?" He smiled.

"Fine...last night was crazy. But today…" he got up, "I have a feeling things are gonna be better!" This made Minnie smile.

"Well, the King and the two engineers are waiting for you. Take your time…you need to be at your best for your trip." Sora sat down, nodding. Kairi smiled at her boyfriend.

"I'm ready when you are, Sora. I'll do my best." Sora looked at her with gentle eyes.

"Thanks, Kairi..." After that, breakfast went on normally. Sora and Minnie talked about the future, but Kairi ate her breakfast silently and peacefully. Finally, it was time for the couple to leave the castle, and go find their lost friend. Mickey met them at the docking bay.

"Sora, please come back if we need you. We kept Highwind working for you. Things are worse then we thought, so make sure you go to a world you trust first. It will serve you well. We'll always keep this world as a safe haven for you." Minnie and Daisy reentered, after packing the ship.

"Please, come back safely. Please help Riku come home!" Daisy said. Sora nodded.

"We will. We promised. Right, Sora?"

He nodded. "Yeah, now let's go find Riku, and that girl who attacked us yesterday!" Kairi nodded, and the two boarded the ship. They sat down next to each other, Sora driving and Kairi at the COMlinks.

"I can't use those things and drive at the same time. Can you mange the COMlinks?" Kairi nodded, putting on the headset.

"Will do, Sora!" She pressed a button and a little red light turned on. "Gummi Garage. We await for your launch signal, I repeat, masters are ready for launch!" Sora looked at her, confused.

"How do you know the gummi lingo Kairi?" he gave her a confused look.

"Riku showed me the basics. You were always training or asleep." She blushed, and smiled. Sora nodded.

"Oh…I see," he said, turning back to his controls.

"_He teaches Kairi, and not me? That jerk! What am I thinking, right now—I need to focus on saving him!"_ he shook the thoughts out of his mind.

"Deploying in three…two…one!" The ship fell downward, into the light of the universe. After regaining its balance, the ship sped toward the only world they knew and trusted…Radiant Garden.

"Mickey said to start with a world we trust. Radiant Garden is only world I can see. Let's start there." Kairi nodded, and checked for enemies.

"Odd…no Heartless on radar. It's totally clear." The world's gate was in sight, and they entered safely. They landed right by the entrance to town. As they entered, Kairi looked around in awe.

"I suddenly feel so—at home…It's beautiful!" The paths were grey cobblestone, and the crystal fissure gorge still gave off a bluish glow, making the cliffs a royal blue color. The town was in great shape.

"Come on, let's go find Riku," said Sora, urging her to move.

RA

"That's the last time I let you drive Aura!" Riku yelled at his student, pulling brunt pieces of the ship out of his hair. Aura glared at him.

"Well it's YOUR fault! I was fine you gave me the wheel while I was shooting!" she dusted herself off. They both looked back at the damaged gummi ship. It was totaled, and there was nothing to salvage.

"I guess we're stuck here. Come on!" Riku said, "I know some people here who can help us." They walked into the back part of town.

"I have this weird feeling, something bad about this place, Riku. Are you sure about this?" Her stomach felt jumpy, and she felt like she was going to vomit. Riku chuckled.

"Don't worry too much, just be ready…which means start summoning if you need to." She rolled her eyes, and summoned her power into her hand, and after thirty seconds of pure focus, the blade appeared. Suddenly, someone pushed the blade out of her grip, and flipped over her before she could react. Riku parried his assault, while Aura searched for her blade.

"WHO ARE YOU?" Riku demanded. The figure walked into the light, and Riku suddenly knew who it was. He was a male, with brown hair and brown eyes. Across his nose was a scar, and he wore a white shirt, a black jacket, black pants and shoes. Several belts hung loosely around his waist, and he carried a big gun like blade.

"Leon! It's you!" Riku said happily. "Remember me…Riku?" Leon shook his head.

"Oh hey Riku! Oh god, I'm sorry for attacking you! I forgot who you were for a second." He looked over at Aura, who had just found her blade. "Who's that?" he asked. Riku shook his head.

"I'll tell you later…" he replied. Leon nodded.

"Right, well follow me. Sorry about the misunderstanding." Riku followed, with Aura trailing behind, Keyblade tightly gripped in her hands.

SK

"Wow…I guess the committee has been working hard. Tron should be helping them too!" Sora exclaimed, heading for the square. Kairi was next to him, taking in the scenery.

"Well, Tron has been giving us lost images from what the old Radiant Garden looked like." Both pairs of eyes followed to the voice's origin. It was Aerith.

"Hey!" Kairi cried, waving her hand. They both ran toward her.

"You're back! How are you doing? How are Riku, and the island?" she flashed them a cheerful smile.

"We're good, Riku's missing, but good, and the islands are safe! Where're Leon and the gang?"

"They're all at Merlin's, except Leon. He's patrolling the streets for Heartless."

Kairi replied her smile with one of her own. "Glad to see you're keeping busy."

Aerith nodded, giggling. "Come on! The committee should be able to see you." Sora and Kairi followed the brown-haired girl toward Merlin's.

RA

Leon slowly opened the door of Merlin's home. All heads inside the room turned toward them. Riku knew all the familiar faces; Aura however, was more lost then ever. She was still unsure about trusting them, due to Leon's assault.

"Well! Look who's here! It's been awhile, Riku!" the blonde sitting in front of a computer said. A female with short black hair jumped in front of the two, startling them. She glomped Riku, landing on top of him on the floor. Aura giggled at the sight.

"It has been a while! Hopefully you haven't been getting rusty since I saw you last." Riku smiled, pushing her off and getting up.

"Oh, don't worry, Yuffie…I haven't." Yuffie smiled back. Leon walked over to the man at the computer while she went into the kitchen to get some lemonade for their guests.

"Cid how's the gorge? Any mass swarms yet?" Cid shook his head.

"It's under control!" he replied.

"Ansem's study?"

"Untouched."

"The town square?"

"Business is great, and everyone is fine." Leon smiled, and sat back into a chair, slouching a little.

"Good, we can finally rela-" Cid interrupted him.

"Hold up! Nobodies appeared in the Bailey. About 20 small fries! If they destroy it, getting to the castle will be harder." Leon sighed. His moment of relaxation passed. He turned to Riku and Aura, who were drinking their lemonade happily chatting.

"Riku, Aura, would you help me clear the Bailey out?" they both nodded, and got up.

"Don't worry, nothing will pass us." Leon nodded, going out the door. Riku turned to Aura.

"Listen closely, Aura… I haven't had a full lesson with you, but we need to help. Follow my lead, okay?" She nodded. "And don't worry…these are people we can trust." She nodded again, smiling.

"Thanks, Riku…let's go!" they ran out the door.

SK

Aerith had just opened the door a few minutes later with Sora and Kairi in tow. Cid got up and shook Sora's hand. Merlin was still nowhere to be found.

"SORA! KAIRI! HEYYA!" Yuffie cried, with delight, running to Kairi.

"Hey guys!" Sora said, "It's great to see all of you. Hey…do you know where Le-?" suddenly the room filled up with white smoke, and a man with a long white beard and blue robes appeared. He started coughing, waving the smoke away.

"Well! …I'm getting rusty. Sora, my boy! How are you?" his voice hadn't changed from the last time they saw him.

"I'm good Merlin," Sora replied. "And I'm still good on my magic!" Merlin smiled.

"Well done Sora! Hearing that makes me proud!" Aerith walked over to the computer, eyeing the screen surveillance cameras.

"Any sign of him?" she asked Cid. He shook his head.

"Nope, not a trace." Aerith sighed.

"It's okay…really!" she perked up, "He'll be back, I know it!"

"Hey…where's Leon?" Kairi cut in. Yuffie had just remembered that he left.

"Oh yeah! He's at the Bailey fighting! Maybe you should go help him, Sora!" Sora turned away from Merlin, and nodded.

"Right! Let's go Kairi!" They ran off, closing the door.

"Hmmm…maybe we should have told Sora that Riku was there as well?"

"Nah! He'll find out." Cid said. Merlin sighed, slapping his palm on his face.

RA

Aura still had a gut feeling that Leon wasn't a good guy, but for the time being she had no choice but to trust the warrior. Even with Riku assuring her that everything was fine, she couldn't help, but wonder.

"We're almost there guys. Just up this ledge." He jumped as high as he could, holding the Gunblade tightly in his hands. Riku looked over at Aura.

"Aura, start summoning your blade. We'll be there soon." He jumped up the ledge. She nodded, putting her hand down at her side, conjuring her blade.

"_Summon, blade! Come to my hand!" _she thought hard, focusing her energy and emotions into enough power to make her blade appear. _"Help me, Lighted Way!"_ she felt a tingle of magic in her palm, but no blade appeared. Riku looked down, and sighed in hopelessness. She tired again, straining her hand. The tingle grew stronger and stronger. Finally, there was a bright flash of light that formed into the blade and became solid in her hand.

"Finally!" she stated, panting. She jumped to Riku's side. "Why is that so hard!?" she groaned restlessly. Riku smiled, wanting to cheer her up.

"Hey, you'll get it! It's a natural talent for any Keyblade warrior. It just takes a little more time for you though, that's all." Aura glared at him.

"Well…thanks for the positive encouragement, Riku!" she said sarcastically. Riku glared.

"Hey, I was only trying to help you. If I didn't come, you would be stuck with Rinami! Be thankful that I even took you with me!" Aura stepped back, sensing Riku was kind of mad.

"You don't know how thankful I am…" she mumbled, gripping her blade tightly.

"Then how about showing some credit huh?" She nodded, pointing her Keyblade behind him.

"FIRAGUN!" she cried, releasing a power fire spell right behind him. He glanced behind him, and saw a Berserker Nobody on fire. Riku shrugged, turning back to her.

"That's a start…come on. Let's go." Aura nodded, and the duo ran into the fight. Riku held 'Way to Dawn' tightly and charged, firing a blizzard spell, freezing nobodies left and right, but almost making Aura stick to the ground. Heartless started appearing, prancing around the higher stone structures mindlessly.

"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE AIMING DIRT BOY!" she cried. Riku glared at her again, but then in fear flipped over her, slashing a Knight Heartless about to cut her in two. She turned around in fright, just to see his cold eyes locked onto her.

"Save the comments, Aura…this is NOT the time. UNDERSTAND!?" she nodded, holding back her scared feelings, fighting off more enemies. Leon started helping her throughout the fight.

"We got this guys!" Leon yelled, and in a matter on minutes the battle ended. Leon wiped the sweat from his brow. "Well, that was harder then I thought…" he straightened. Riku hadn't even broken a sweat, but Aura was doubled over, panting for breath.

"RIKU!" a very familiar voice cried. Riku turned around and grinned.

SK

Sora and Kairi saw the end of the fight, and their missing white-haired friend. There was another, however, who looked strangely familiar, and it wasn't Leon.

"_Who is she, and where have I seen her before…?" _Kairi pondered in her mind. She finally found a solution after a while.

"Sora! That's the girl from the castle! Remember?" He nodded.

"Yeah…that is!" he agreed, and they charged toward them.

"RIKU!" Sora cried. He saw his friend turn toward them, smiling. The girl beside him also turned.

"LOOK OUT!" Kairi cried. Riku looked around him, and saw nothing but the bailey, Leon, and the girl.

"Sora! Kairi! What in the world are you talking about?" Riku asked only to be tackled by Kairi. Sora, however, was with the girl. She was pinned against the far wall by his blade. His eyes were fixed on his blade, slowly pressing the long part of his blade against her neck. Her breaths became gasps, and she choked for air. She was smart enough to not struggle, however, or she would lose air faster, and surely die.

"Sora," Riku cried, "What are you doing?!"

"Why did you attack Kairi and Riku back at the castle?" Sora asked forcefully, ignoring Riku. The girl tried taking a deep breath, but very little air got into her lungs. She felt light headed. She choked again, her hands pressing against the blade, but Sora was firm and kept a good grip on the giant key.

"I…have no idea…what-!" the blade pressed harder against her windpipe. Kairi got off of Riku finally. Breathing grew much harder, and the light-headedness continued. "Help…!" she said breathily.

"SORA! RELEASE HER!" Riku yelled, pushing Kairi toward Leon. Sora ignored the command and kept at it.

"_I didn't attack them…I have to think of a way to get him to understand…before it's too late! Think, Aura…AURA!"_ she cried out in her mind.

"Let me go…and I'll explain everything." She bargained, gasping for air. He didn't move. Her eyes widened, and she felt her consciousness slipping away. She said the only thing that came to her head. "Master…Riku. Help…!" she said meekly.

"SORA!" Riku commanded. Finally, Sora backed away, dropping Aura to the ground. She held her neck tightly, gasping for air. Sora pointed his blade at her, glaring at her. Kairi got in the way, and bent down beside the deep breathing red-head.

"Are you okay?" she asked gently. Aura looked over at her in fear, but in an unknown way, she could trust her.

"Well…it's harder for me to breathe," she mumbled. Kairi nodded, looking angrily back at Sora.

"Sora, you moron! Look, now you scared the crap out of her! What has gotten into you? You could've killed her!" Sora didn't really know what to say.

"Well…what about the castle? Riku…?" he turned to the white haired boy. He shook his head.

"She's a friend…Sora."

Sora nodded, and bent down beside Aura. She backed away from him, and toward Kairi, still breathing deeply. His Keyblade disappeared. "I…don't know, but you're right…Ever since the war, I've been this way." He looked at Aura, and smiled cheerfully. "I won't hurt you anymore, I promise. Could you tell us a little about yourself though?" Aura nodded and smiled, staying mostly by Kairi or Riku. Riku smiled.

"You did the right thing Sora…except the choking my apprentice to death part."

"You have some explaining to do as well Riku! Don't think you're off the hook."

Leon smiled, and shook his head. "What am I gonna do…?" he mumbled.

Alright, as my profile said, I have nearly lost all motivation to write, but I'll still do it. I hope you like this one. This is part one of this chapter.

Destiny X3


	6. Discovery and Explanation Chapter 4 P2

1Here's part two! Hope you like it!

Chapter 4 Part 2

Discovery and Explanation

When Aura finally finished telling Sora and Kairi who she was and why she was here with Riku, the sun was already setting. That night at dinner, she ate slowly, hoping not to attract any unwanted attention. Kairi talked to her, and tried to make her better, but it was a natural thing for Aura to have low self-esteem. Aerith started passing out drinks to her friends.

"So…Aura, right?" Leon spoke out, after finishing. Aura quickly looked up, and nodded.

"Yes Leon?" she shot back at him.

"Where exactly are you from? You seem to have left that out of your story." Aura sighed, making eye contact with the Gunblade master.

"I don't quite know, but I would love to find out someday. The only thing I can remember is…it's in darkness now." She looked down again, taking a sip from the lemonade in front of her. She coughed because of the taste.

"_Whoa…that's the saltiest thing I've ever tasted…" _she said to herself, placing the glass farther away from her plate. She began eating again, listening to the conversations around her.

After dinner, Sora and Cid were on the main computer, checking a map on the universe showing the worlds. Kairi was helping Aerith and Yuffie with the dishes, Merlin was reading, and Leon was on patrol again. The sky was purplish-orange when Aura and Riku came back inside.

"I do exactly what you say, but is still takes me almost a minute or two to make the Keyblade solid!" Aura grumbled. They walked into the main room, and split company. Aura went upstairs and Riku went to find Sora. He felt bad for Aura, though. She was his student, but he had no idea how to teach whatsoever. He had his lesson all planned out, and it would go fine, but when teaching, it would always come out a failed attempt. Summoning came naturally to him, and he had no idea how to truly do it. Sora broke him out of his mind loop.

"Riku! Come here!" Riku shook his head, and walked over to the computer. Sora was next to Cid, looking over the blonde's shoulder.

"Pull up the world map," Sora ordered him calmly. Cid nodded, and quickly set aside a few documents, and pulled up the map. He didn't trust Sora with his computer, after the whole MCP incident.

"So Riku, how was training today?" Sora asked, trying to be nice. Riku sighed, giving him a mean look.

"Well, the upside is that she cut her summoning time in half, and that she knows a very weak blizzard spell."

Sora nodded. "What was her summoning time before it got cut in half?" Riku gave a sad look.

"About…five minutes." Sora's eyes widened.

"WHOA! I mean…uh, at least you're making progress." Riku nodded.

"Slowly, but it's working. I really hate this whole teaching thing. Anyway, what do you want?" Sora nodded, and pointed at the world map.

"You see, a lot of new worlds have made themselves known, each with a Keyblade master that needs to be found and protected. If we all four go to one world at a time, we'll never get done. So, we have to go in pairs."

"So, you mean you and I go to a world, while Kairi and Aura go to a different world?" Riku asked, looking at the map. Sora was right when he said there were a lot of new worlds. The map seemed giant compared to previous maps from years ago.

"Right…so, I think if you and Aura start here," He pointed to a calm, tropical-looking world, "and Kairi and I went here," he pointed to Land of the Dragons, "we could switch back and forth, depending on who is needed. We'll meet up at…this world here." He pointed to a musky, swamp-like globe.

"Sounds like a plan. So, we switch off between worlds, right?"

"Yeah, the only thing is, I have to go to the worlds I know. Kairi, Aura, or you have to go to the new worlds. I think it would be better that way." Riku nodded.

"Right…okay. Sounds like a plan…the one problem is, I DON'T HAVE A GUMMI SHIP!" Riku almost yelled. He calmed down and looked at Cid, who was smiling.

"Meet with me tomorra! I can git ya a ship," Cid grinned. Riku was confused, but covered it with a smile.

"Thanks Cid. That would help a lot. Well, we should go, Sora. We have to start bright and early tomorrow…and it's almost 2:00am." Sora looked at the bottom corner of the computer screen.

"Whoa! You're right! Well then, see ya Riku." Sora went upstairs to bed. Riku looked at the map a little longer.

"Just minimize it when yer done, kay Riku?" He nodded, and Cid walked away. Riku scanned all the worlds, whether they were old or new.

"This is going to be our toughest challenge yet. I hope we're ready for this." Riku minimized the map, and went to bed.

_Dream_

"_Wake up…Wake up." A male voice said. Everything was black, and there seemed to be no one around. The voice echoed all around her. She was floating in darkness her whole body was lifeless. She groaned, trying to tell whoever was out there she was alive. _

"_Wake up…come on. Groan or something. How are her vitals?" She was confused. Was she alive or dead? _

"_They seem to be working fine," another responded._

"_Good," the original voice replied, "I don't want her dead. Now come on…wake up for me, will you?" Nothing happened. "Just try…try and wake up." Finally, she had the strength to open her eyes. Everything was blurry, She saw now she was floating in some kind of tank of water, like some kind of experiment. She was in a lab, or something. She moved her mouth to talk, but nothing happened. _

"_What..? Where am…I? Who am I? Who are…you?" she thought aloud. Somehow, her thoughts echoed throughout the lab. _

"_Don't try and talk much," the boy said, looking at her with gentle eyes. " I'm not important, what's important is, are you okay?" The girl's memory was completely blank. She had no idea who this guy was, or what he wanted. _

"_What's…okay?" the girl asked. The boy's eyes widened, but he sighed and calmed down. _

"_Alright…so, who are you? Do you have a name?" he asked, concerned, but curious. _

"_I…I don't know what a name is…" she thought back. _

"_Hmmmmm…I see." Another body entered the room. The girl's vision cleared a bit more. She realized she had tubes in her neck to help her breathe, and suction cups attached to wires on her forehead. She was a science experiment…but everything was so confusing. _

"_Son, how is she?" the other body asked. _

"_Not good…she doesn't remember anything." The son replied. The father smiled. _

"_Well, that's not a bad thing. That's a good thing. Makes this a whole lot easier." The son's eyes widened. _

"_What! What do you mean by that?!" the father smiled. _

"_I'll tell you everything…tomorrow. I'm going to bed. Make sure she doesn't leave that tank…I'll check on you in the morning. Good night son." Before he knew it, he was gone. _

"_Good night…" he mumbled, and turned back to the girl. _

"_What is your name…?" the girl thought weakly, "Where am I? I DEMAND TO KNOW!" her thoughts were forceful. The boy sighed. _

"_My name is Kent. I'm not supposed to tell you, okay? Just remember that name…now what's your name?" The girl's vision was clear now. Kent had golden hair, and emerald eyes. He wore a white dress shirt, a brown vest, black pants and buckle shoes. His hair was long, and in a ponytail. He looked about sixteen or seventeen years old. He was tall and his skin was cream colored, only slightly tanner. _

"_I don't have one. No one ever gave me one." The girl replied, her red hair swaying with her body. The water current that was keeping her steady was rocking her. _

"_You don't have a name?" Kent asked back. _

"_No…I don't even know what a name is." Kent sighed again, but smiled, putting a hand on the tank, pressing his palm against the glass. _

"_Maybe I could give you a name…let's see…my mothers name was…Aura. I could give you that name, but you have to take good care of it." Aura nodded, but was confused. _

"_How do I take care of a name?" Aura asked. Kent took his hand off the tank, and slapped his face against it. _

"_I was being sarcastic." _

"_What's that?!" Aura thought loudly. Kent gave her a cheerful smile. _

"_Right…so your name is Aura, okay?" _

"_Really? How do you know my name is Aura?" Kent bit his bottom lip. _

"_I just…know these things, okay? Like I said, my name is Kent. Remember that name." _

"_Okay…hey Kent? Where am I? What is this stuff?" It was like dealing with a girl with amnesia. The questions wouldn't stop. _

"_You're in my dad's lab, and what you're in is a rejuvenation tank, which is slowly healing your body. We found you in darkness…" _

"_Dark…ness?" Aura thought aloud. "I remember something like that. It's this…dark…stuff. I couldn't move, or do anything. Then, my memory just…died." _

"_Don't worry…you're fine. Now to get you out of this tube." He went to a control panel, and started typing like crazy. _

"_Didn't that other guy say not to?" Aura asked. Kent looked over with a bored expression on his face._

"_Does it look like I care?" He went back to typing. _

"_But…what if you get in trouble?" _

"_Once again," he looked over with the same bored look on his face, "Does it look like I care? Now stop asking questions and hold on. I'm getting you out of there." He started typing like crazy again. _

"_Draining the liquid." Slowly, the stuff holding Aura in the tank was drained. Aura struggled to stay on two feet. _

"_What's happening?" she thought again. Kent ignored her this time. _

"_Disengaging the thought synthesizers…" the suction cups dropped off of Aura's forehead, and hung loosely in the air. _

"_Opening the tank, taking the breathing tubes out…and PRESTO!" the tank opened. The tubes in Aura's neck detached, and hung loose. Aura lifelessly fell out of the tank, letting out a squeal of shock. _

_End of Dream_

Aura awoke from her dream, sitting bolt upright. She was sweaty, and her heart raced.

"Was that a dream…or a flashback?" she asked herself. She rested a hand over her heart. Spare tears ran down her cheeks. There was a knock at the door. It was soft, but audible.

"Come in…" Aura said softly. The door opened, and Sora entered. Her fear rose. 'He's back to finish the job!' she thought. Sora was silent, and he slowly approached her. He stopped short, and sat down on her bedside.

"Aura…are you, uh…okay?" he asked her, calmly. He avoided her eyes.

"Oh, I'm…I'm okay." She said back to him, giving him a fake smile. Sora finally looked over, and gave her a 'yeah right' look.

"What's bothering you?"

"Nothing…I mean-," Sora gave her the look again, "Okay, fine. I'll tell…" she took a deep breath, and looked at Sora directly in the eyes. "It's two things really. One is, I think Riku hates me…number two is…my past." Sora nodded, staying silent for a few seconds.

"Okay, for number one, Riku doesn't hate you. He's only trying to teach you, and make you stronger and tougher. He blames himself for being a bad teacher."

"Well he shouldn't! I'm a bad student!" Aura whispered, pounding her fist on her pillow, "I should be better at this! I should learn faster!" Sora nodded, and spoke again.

"Well, you need that attitude to learn. Be tough…you can do it…" Aura smiled.

"Thanks…that helped a lot…and about my past..." she stopped short. Her head began to pound. She shut her eyes, forcing them to stay closed.

"Aura, what's wrong?" Sora's voice was a mere echo in her mind. Flashes of her past were appearing before her eyes. Aura's head was in immense pain, and she felt like she was either going to pass out or vomit. "Aura? Are you okay? What's wrong?" Sora's voice echoed. Aura forced her eyes open, sweat and tears rolled down her cheeks. Her hands rubbed her temples, to try and lessen the pain.

"What is going on?" she asked Sora, gritting her teeth. "What is HAPPENING TO ME?!" her voice was at a soft, breathy yell. Sora had no idea what was going on, and he grasped the fact that Aura didn't know as well.

"Aura…talk to me." Sora's voice was slowly returning to normal. Aura's pain was slowly fading away. Sora moved closer, bending his head close to hers. His breath caressed her neck. "Aura…are you okay? Please answer," he pleaded calmly. Aura slowly sat up, sweat drenching her baggy shirt. She looked at Sora with frightened eyes.

"I'm…I'm sorry. My past…it's just…now I remember it…clearly." She whispered. Sora nodded, sliding back to give her space.

"Do you want to tell me?" he asked cautiously. She nodded.

"Right now, I remembered waking up in a tank of water, barely alive. A boy named Kent released me, and…" Sora yawned. "I'm sorry Sora…I shouldn't have kept you up." Sora shook his head, smiling.

"No, it's fine. The reason I came in the first place was, well, I want to apologize about today. It was wrong of me, and I shouldn't have acted so irrationally. So…what I'm trying to say is…you want to be friends?" he held out a hand, hoping she would shake it. Aura gladly took it, and shook it with energy.

"Sure Sora…I forgive you, and let's not mention this to Riku or Kairi…kay?" He nodded.

"No prob. Well, I'm gonna go. Night Aura, we'll talk tomorrow before we part company." He exited the room. Aura was alone again, and the sun was on the horizon. Aura got up, and looked out at the lovely multi-colored sun.

"I have to be tough. I have to learn from my past, and focus on the future…" She smiled as the sun rose over the Radiant Garden walls, signaling a new day's rising.


End file.
